Juddmonte Retires Expert Eye to Stud

Juddmonte Farms announced Nov. 9 the retirement of Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) winner Expert Eye and released the 2019 fees for its Banstead Manor Stud.

Expert Eye, a 3-year-old son of Acclamation and the first British-bred winner of the Mile since 1994, is at Banstead Manor. He will stand for £20,000 (US$26,200).

Expert Eye is a fourth-generation Juddmonte homebred whose pedigree includes European champion 2-year-old filly and dual classic winner Special Duty, who is a Hennessy half sister to Expert Eye's dam, Exemplify. Acclamation is also the sire of leading stallion Dark Angel.

"This precocious, athletic, and well-balanced colt is one of the best sons of Acclamation to race, winning the (Qatar) Vintage Stakes (G2) that was described by Timeform as 'arguably the most striking performance by a 2-year-old in a Pattern race all year,'" said Banstead Manor stud director Simon Mockridge. "That early talent was carried over into his 3-year-old season when he captured the Jersey Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot in scintillating fashion, winning by the largest margin this century (4 1/2 lengths)."

Also heading the Juddmonte roster is Frankel, who reached the landmark total of 20 Northern Hemisphere group winners this year, faster than any other European stallion in the history of the Pattern, according to Juddmonte. Frankel's top runners of 2018 include Cracksman, winner of the QIPCO Champion Stakes (G1), Investec Coronation Cup (G1), and the Prix Ganay-Prix de l'Inauguration de ParisLongchamp (G1); and 2-year-old group winner East, runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T). 

Champion miler Kingman has five stakes winners to date in his first crop, including group winners Calyx, who took the Coventry Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot, and Persian King. At auction, Kingman was represented by a 1.05 million guineas ($1,444,503) yearling at Tattersalls October Book 1 and the highest-priced colt to sell at Goffs Orby (€850,000, $984,130) in 2018. 

Oasis Dream has been represented by two new group 1 winners in 2018—3-year-old Polydream and 2-year-old Pretty Pollyanna. Polydream won the LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1), and Pretty Pollyanna won the Darley Prix Morny (G1) and the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes (G2).

Bated Breath has 51% winners to runners, which makes him one of the leading British-based stallions by this metric in the £8,000 to £15,000 price bracket, according to Juddmonte. The sire's yearlings of 2018 include a €240,000 ($277,176) colt at Goffs Orby, a Tattersalls October Book 1 filly that brought 140,000 gns ($192,467), and colts that sold for 175,000 gns ($242,274) and 160,000 gns ($221,508) at Tattersalls October Book 2.